I do not own anything from Rick Riordan's Universe.
Chapter 16
The microwave beeped four times, indicating her coffee was heated for the third time that night. She grabbed carefully avoiding burning herself and sat on the empty table in the middle of the break room. Aurora's voice traveled all the way from her desk, through the empty office, and reached Annabeth's ears as she tried studying the articles her boss had given her.
She took one sip and grimaced. Her coffee tasted rusty, for reheating it too much.
She pushed the ceramic cup far away from her and decided to start her investigation about Athena Pallas. Aurora always told her it was imperative to know your client as the palm of your heart, so you would have an idea on what suggestions to make, or what face to use at their exotic requests.
Her phone pinged several times and she tried hard to ignore it. She quickly grew frustrated when they were little details about the famous lawyer on the internet. Apparently, Athena was very secretive about her personal life. The only info about her, where the strategies she had used in every case and a few videos of her classes at Harvard. She would have to pay a subscription to watch them, so she decided to forget about them.
Annabeth closed her laptop and rubbed her forehead. Her phone pinged again and this time she picked it up. There were several messages from Thalia and Piper, asking if she was okay. She texted back saying she was fine. But they know she wasn't. How could she?
There was a knock on the door, and she looked up to find Aurora holding her purse and quickly texting something on her phone.
"I'm leaving." She told Annabeth. "I need Malcolm's reports for tonight, so send them to my email once you finish. Also, don't forget to ask Josh for the blueprints on the new sports center in Jacksonville, so I can quickly take a look at them."
"Yes, ma'am."
Aurora finally took her eyes from her phone and stared at her assistant. "And I don't need to remind you about tomorrow's lunch. We'll meet there fifteen minutes earlier, so don't be late."
"Of course. And about the meeting tomorrow…" Annabeth said before her boss had the chance to leave. She grabbed the piece of paper where she had scribbled the whole night. "I had some questions we can ask her to really comprehend what she's looking for…"
"Miss Chase." Her boss interrupted. "Don't take this the wrong way. But I'll need you to just observe and learn tomorrow."
Annabeth frowned. "But you said I would be the co-head architect."
"Yes, and your name will appear next to that position in all papers we sign. However, you can't really expect me to leave such an important client in the hands of an unexperienced architect. You will take the position for the sole purpose of learning, and then I'll start giving you much smaller clients, to whom you'll be able to show your designs. Are we clear?"
Annabeth wanted to argue that what she proposed wasn't the deal they had made months ago, but she knew Aurora was right. She was young and inexperienced.
"Ok. But when do you think I can start designing for our clients?"
Aurora seemed irritated by her questioning but humored her anyway. "Well, first I'll need you to train a new assistant since Meghan is barely capable of filling your shoes. Then I'll need to see your improvement with the Athena case, and if I find it acceptable…then I'll be promoting you approximately in nine months…"
"Nine months?!" she asked a little bit too loud and Aurora frowned.
"Patience is a virtue, Miss. Chase. And I need to know I have the best team working with me."
Annabeth took a deep breath. "I understand."
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow." Aurora said, turning around, and walking towards the elevator muttering something about Millennials being incredibly naïve and ambitious.
Annabeth opened her laptop and deleted the design she had worked on the entire week for her meeting with Athena. She grabbed the ceramic mug and reheated her coffee for the fourth time.
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As she opened the door, Annabeth was greeted by the marvelous smell of Mac and Cheese. The only recipe Thalia knew how to cook without burning the entire building. Her friend was at the kitchen table writing something on a piece of paper.
"Are you composing?" she asked closing the door behind her and heading to the coffee table to leave her folder and laptop.
"If you count writing random words next to each other as composing…then yeah," Thalia said, putting the pencil down. "How was work?"
"Just the usual."
Annabeth took off her high heels and left them near the couch before she headed towards the kitchen.
"It's in the microwave." Thalia indicated. Annabeth grabbed the plate full of cheesy goodness and sat next to her friend. Thalia grimaced. "You're not gonna heat it up?"
She shook her head, eating a spoonful. "I'm done with microwaves. They just mess up with my coffee ."
Annabeth finished her meal at an amazing speed. She had barely eaten throughout the day, due to her nerves. She didn't want to throw up again. "Thanks for the food." She said to her friend, putting the dish on the sink. She didn't feel like washing, so she sat back on the table.
"You're welcome…I felt like you needed some comfort food." Annabeth smiled gratefully, and Thalia started playing with her pencil. There was some silence, before her friend asked, "Are we gonna talk about it?"
Annabeth sighed and buried her head in her hands. "I don't know. Do we have to?"
"Well, yeah. I think it'll be better for your mental health if you share it with someone."
She took a deep breath. "Ok, then. I think I made my decision."
"You think?"
"It's not an easy pick, Thalia."
"I know, I know. So, what do you think you're going to do?"
Annabeth laid back on her chair, crossing her arms. "I'll go to the meeting with Triton." Thalia grimaced, and she rolled her eyes. "Why is so difficult for you guys to understand it?"
"I understand you, Annabeth. But I just want you to be happy."
"I've told you a billion times, that working makes me happy."
"No. Architecture makes you happy. Something that you can easily achieve anywhere with your talent." She shrugged. "But, there's only one Percy."
"My career is something permanent Thalia. I need to build my future. And yes, Percy makes me happy, but there's no guarantee that I'll be with him the next week or month or year… I'm not quitting my dream for an uncertain relationship."
Thalia seemed to think about it for a moment. "You might be right…But you won't be quitting just for Percy. You need a change of scenery, Beth, and look for a job that actually lets you design and lets you make mistakes. You don't need Aurora to be great."
Annabeth snorted. "You sound like my dad."
"I've always liked Dr. Chase. He's a wise man."
"I've put on a lot of effort into my job. I can't just throw it all away. I need to be patient."
"No, what you need is to build character and get out of your comfort zone. You won't be able to do that if you stay in Aurora's shadow all your life. Do you really think she'll let herself be eclipsed by you? Right now, she's just holding you back, and you know it."
Annabeth shook her head. "It's too late Thalia. I've made my mind."
She sighed. "I know. Just let me say one more thing. You're right. Your relationship with Percy might not be a permanent thing, but you can't deny how much you've changed because of him. After Luke, I was worried you had turned into a soulless being, living your life in autopilot. And, since Percy appeared, I've seen you laugh, cry, fight and just experience life at its fullest. Hell! We even have more friends!"
She doubted a bit, before continuing. "I know you're afraid of turning into your mom, and I really think having Percy around is helping you in avoiding that exactly. He just brings the best in you…ugh, what a cheesy thing to say." Annabeth laughed softly yet avoided her gaze and played with the pearls Percy had given her on her birthday.
Sighing, Thalia stood up and gave her a strong hug. "Anyway…Whatever you choose to do tomorrow, know that I'll always be here for you."
And then she left, leaving a very confused Annabeth to dwell on her decision under the yellow-ish kitchen light.
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She couldn't sleep. Thalia's words kept resonating on her head. Nobody knew Annabeth better than her best friend, and she knew Thalia had spoke with sincerity. For the gods, even she had made the same thinking throughout the week but was too scared to recognize it until her friend brought it out.
A big part of her wanted to do something spontaneous for once in her life. Run away with Percy, quit her job, and start fresh in a new place, even if it wasn't the best thing for her career. She wanted to stop planning and thinking so hard, and just let herself be carried away by the winds of life…like Percy often did.
But it wasn't in her nature. She would have to be crazy to renounce the opportunity of a lifetime, to be with a guy who she had been dating for just a month.
She had made the most rational decision. The one that suited her the best.
Then why was she feeling so hollow?
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Annabeth waited patiently outside of her office. The streets were full of people rushing to get lunch before their break time was over, and the scorching sun was making her regret her decision of wearing her white long-sleeved blouse.
She made the usual movement of looking at her watch on her left hand, but her trusty device wasn't there. She'd decided not to wear it that morning, saving her the anxiety of keeping track of time. But, unusually, she wasn't in a rush. And she was definitely not worried that Triton was already late to pick her up. Actually, she was glad about it.
That was the first sign that something was very wrong with that day.
When Triton finally appeared, she let him talk on and on about his day. Funny thing, she liked the fact he was doing all the talking and she was just quietly listening.
That was the second sign that something was very wrong with that day.
After arriving, they met Aurora on the table Annabeth had reserved days ago. Athena and some of her partners were already there, discussing discretely their businesses. Introductions were made, as Triton sat and joined them quickly, while Aurora sent her assistant an annoyed look for arriving late to their meeting. Annabeth didn't care and made no attempt at apologizing.
That was the third sign that something was very wrong with that day.
She ordered soup. She hated soups.
That was the fourth sign that something was very wrong with that day.
Athena and Aurora started talking about the project. Miss Pallas was a very precise client, nevertheless, she seemed strict and precise, which would be a challenge for the firm. Aurora was fascinated talking about her accomplishments and past works that might serve as a reference to the project, but Annabeth noticed Athena was throwing her a lot of curious stares and even asked for her opinion on certain proposes.
Not that Annabeth had a chance to answer, since Aurora always redirected the attention to her with commentaries about her assistant's lack of experience. She almost laughed dryly at the situation, because apparently Thalia seemed to know more about her boss than herself. Aurora would never let anyone eclipse her.
Weird thing, Annabeth didn't feel the urge to spill her thousand ideas about her design or talk about the different concepts she thought Athena would like. She didn't feel that it was worth it. So, she sat in silence and learned. As she was instructed to do.
That was the fifth sign that something was very wrong with that day.
But even after all those signs, Annabeth wasn't completely sure that her place was not there. No, she realized something was wrong when she checked her phone for messages, and, accidentally, her gaze fell over the big digital numbers announcing the time.
1:06 p.m.
And then the hollow feeling disappeared, and a cascade of emotions came crashing down on her.
An hour ago, Percy had gone to pick her up at her apartment.
An hour ago, she hadn't been home, but on the crowded sidewalk waiting for her.
An hour ago, Percy had discovered her choice.
An hour ago, Percy had left her life.
Her chest began hurting, and she was relieved because, for the first time in that whole day, she felt alive.
"…I heard your father put you in charge of the route project in Asia." Said, one of the associates speaking with Triton, catching Annabeth's attention. In charge?
She patted his shoulder, and whispered, "You got the lead? And you didn't tell me?"
Triton smiled forcefully. "Yeah, well, that was months ago."
"What?!" Her head was spinning. "Then why didn't you tell me? We could have ended this relationship months ago!" She tried to keep her voice down so they wouldn't make a scene in front of everyone.
"I considered it," Triton admitted. "But you were so messed up and desperate for not getting that contract on the Spring Ball, that I just felt sorry for you…"
"You…felt sorry…for me?" Her cheeks began flushing. Desperate? Messed up? Oh, gods…was Triton Jackson saying that to her? Of all damn people? Was that how everybody looked at her for wanting to be better at her job? Was that how Aurora saw her?
Okay.
That was it.
She was done.
"Fine." She said, in a harsh tone. She didn't care anymore about making a scene. Triton's cheeks turned red and he tried to look calm to their new audience. "Then I'll save you the trouble of being your charity work, so you can look for a less desperate one." She was fully aware Athena and Aurora had stopped talking. "We're done Triton. I really hope you manage to get a real girlfriend for once in your life."
He froze and everybody at the table quieted down.
"Are you crazy?" her boss muttered in an urgent tone.
Oh yeah.
She was crazy. And tired. And angry. And frustrated. And dramatic.
She was probably going to regret it all later.
But right then she felt so alive and full of energy.
"I'm sorry, Miss Pallas." She said directly to the client, ignoring her boss's murderous look. "But I have somewhere I need to be."
Aurora grabbed her arm and hissed, "This is very unprofessional behavior, Miss Chase. If you leave right now, I'll be obligated to terminate your contract."
Annabeth smiled, politely. "I understand. But maybe it's time for me to explore new firms." She grabbed her purse and stood up. "I apologize again, Miss Pallas. But Miss Williams is an excellent architect, and I believe I'm leaving you in great hands." She nodded in a general way towards everyone sitting at the table. "Have a good day."
And then she bolted out of the restaurant without giving further explanations.
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Annabeth closed their entrance door a little bit too loudly, making Thalia jump from her place on the couch. Bianca Di Angelo and Zoë Nightshade looked at her with wide eyes, and the last one leaned towards the coffee table pausing the incredibly noisy speaker.
"What are you doing here?" Thalia asked setting her electric guitar down.
Annabeth blinked.
"I got fired."
The three bandmates opened their mouths at the same time and gawked at her for a few seconds, while Annabeth threw her high heels away, opened her bag, and dumped all the now useless documents into their kitchen bin.
"You what?!" Thalia asked, coming out of her shock. But Annabeth didn't have time to explain the whole story. Besides, she feared her rational self would come back to her senses sooner than she expected. She sprinted towards her room and searched for more comfortable clothes in her small closet.
"Um, beth. Are you okay?" Thalia asked from her bedroom door as she started to change to a tank top, comfy jeans, and her white snickers.
"Nop. I just got fired, Thalia."
"Yeah, I thought I heard that. Do you want to sit down and explain things to me while I make comfort food?"
"That sounds amazing." She said grabbing her bag and quickly shoving her cellphone, wallet, and keys. "But I don't have time. I promise I'll tell you everything when I come back."
"Come back? Where are you going?"
"Montauk. I need to talk to Percy."
Thalia sighed heavily and leaned against the doorframe. "He doesn't want to talk to you, Annabeth."
"Well, he'll have no other choice because I'm going to annoy him until he does." She said, heading towards the living room. Thalia followed closely.
"You don't even know if he's in Montauk! Maybe he went back to his apartment."
"I've been there. He's not home." She said, stopping in front of the door. "I need a car. It's way faster."
"A car? You haven't driven anything since we lived in San Francisco!"
"You can take mine." Zoë offered, pulling out her keys from her pocket.
"Don't encourage her!"
Her bandmate shrugged. "She looks determined. It seems like she's going to do it with or without our help."
Thalia shook her head and looked out of the window. "It's going to rain."
"I'll be careful." She reassured her, grabbing a hoodie from their coat rack. "Thank you, Zoë." She kissed Thalia's cheek. "I'll call when I get there."
"Don't know what got into you today but fine. You better pick up your phone when I call you."
"Yes, ma'am."
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The dog came out of nowhere.
That was the sixth sign that something was very wrong with that day.
In her defense, Google Maps had been creative with their route to avoid the traffic jam on the highway, so she ended up driving between various residences near East Hampton. She cursed Thalia for having called the rain…although it wasn't a simple drizzle but more like a huge storm.
Zoë's car was almost an antique, so it was a miracle the wipers were actually working, and she was pretty sure the girl hadn't changed her tires in a long time because she felt the old Volvo skating on the wet road several times. To make things worse, it was a manual transmission. She had to drive slower than usual, which made her take the double of the usual time.
Then the cute dog decided to enter the full kamikaze mode.
Oh, don't worry, the dog is fine. The old Volvo…not so much. It skated out of control until hitting an innocent tree. And then, it just died.
Annabeth found on google the nearest workshop, fearing the poor car didn't have good insurance. She waited for an hour and a half until the crane finally arrived to take the car.
"Ma'am we need you to come with us to the evaluation of the car." The crane's driver said as he kindly held the umbrella over her head. She was already soaking wet, but she thanked the nice gesture.
"I can't," she said. "I really have somewhere to be." She checked her wallet. "Can I pay you to take it back to your workshop and I promise to go back for it tomorrow?"
The man shrugged. "Sure. At least give us your contact number."
Annabeth filled a form and left her contact info to the man before asking him for directions on how to take a bus to Montauk. Then she watched the crane going away with Zoë's car and the amazing umbrella.
She quickly began walking in the wet and humid night. Huge contemporary and old houses almost made Annabeth stop to admire her design and compositions, but she had far more urgent matters to attend.
Her phone rang. Thalia.
"Hey," she greeted as she entered a rather deserted zone.
"Hey. Are you there yet?"
"Eh…no."
"No? You should have arrived an hour ago…why are you breathing heavily? Are you walking?"
Annabeth bit her lip. "Yes…Um. I kind of crashed Zoë's car."
Silence.
"But I already called a workshop, and I'll go back for it tomorrow. Tell Zoë everything's gonna be fine and that I'm gonna pay for it…" She stopped in the middle of the street. "Shoot."
"What?" Thalia asked, urgently.
"Nothing…I just forgot I'm unemployed. I won't have that kind of money anymore."
Thalia snorted. "Welcome to my world." She sighed. "Annabeth come back home. This is stupid. You're obviously in shock and you've had a very bad day so far."
"I can't Thalia…I can lose my job and Percy in the same day. I'd just go insane. This is my way of dealing with things, so please just let me do it."
Silence.
"Ugh, fine! But if you get kidnapped or killed …" She heard her knocking on wood. She stopped to do the same on a tree. "…I'll personally bring you back from the dead and kill you myself."
"Sounds fair."
They hung up and Thalia warned she would call back in half an hour. Minutes later, as she walked through a rather dark street, a pickup truck pulled over beside her.
That was the seventh sign that something was very wrong with that day.
Annabeth tried not to pay attention to it and to walk a little faster on the sidewalk, but she didn't like the fact that she was alone, and the car was slowly rolling beside her. She cursed Thalia again. She was about to start running when the co-pilot's window rolled down, and a guy's face showed up.
"Hello, ma'am." He greeted and she ignored him. Annabeth's heart was beating faster and faster. "I'm gonna need your purse…and your cellphone."
Annabeth could almost see the lights of the principal highway ahead for her. She had made a plan of running and yelling for help when the guy showed her something through the window.
A gun. Of course, he had a gun. Could that day be really any worse? She tried to see his face, but it was too dark.
She stopped. "Fine…Can I get my ID at least?"
"Give me your phone first."
Annabeth obeyed and showed the guy how she opened her wallet and only got her license and ID out. Then she gave him the purse, and the driver stepped on the gas until they finally disappeared from view. Only then, Annabeth realized her hands were shaking.
She knelt down and took a deep breath. She didn't have her phone (Thalia was going to murder her), she didn't have any cash for the bus and the sky was dark already. Okay…maybe Annabeth had not planned that day well…but she couldn't give up now. She would just break down. No…she needed to continue. She considered filing the police report tomorrow to save time. She needed to get to Montauk.
Walking it is.
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She had been walking for two hours when a bus driver took pity on her and let her ride the rest of the way without having to pay. She felt bad, but at the same time, she was scared something worse than a robbery would happen to her. Besides, walking with your socks soaking wet is not the best sensation in the world.
She arrived at the town close to midnight. There was nothing open except from some bars, where adults from all ages were already wasted and out of the minds. Annabeth palped her pockets and was relieved to find the piece of paper where she had written the address Sally had given her before leaving New York. It was the first time she was grateful for not having written something on her phone.
Needing to ask for directions, Annabeth stepped into one of the small open bars and zigzagged her way through a party to reach the bartender. She had to wait for him to serve several drinks before he finally answered her question. The loud music had made it difficult for her to properly understand him, but at least she got an idea of where to go.
When she was on her way out, she bumped into someone.
That was the last and worst sign that something went very wrong with that day.
The drunk girl fell to the floor and her drink was spilled on top of her friends. Annabeth muttered a quick apology and tried helping her up, but the girl pushed her away. Once she was back on her feet, Annabeth started walking through towards the door, when someone grabbed her arm.
"Aren't you going to apologize?" the girl asked, furiously.
Annabeth sighed. "I already did. You were just too drunk to hear me."
Their friends gasped.
"She just called you an alcoholic, Kelli." One of her friends said with an annoying smirk.
"I did not say that." Annabeth spat.
"You think you're better than me, princess. Just because you're sober."
"Wow. I really don't know what you're talking about." She said, not liking the looks they were giving her. But deep down, Annabeth knew those girls just wanted chaos. She should have left as fast as she could, but Kelli was still firmly gripping her arm.
"Let me go." She said harshly.
"Maybe we should teach her a lesson, Tammi," Kelli said, and Annabeth didn't like the sound of that. Tammi smiled mischievously.
Annabeth blamed her boxing reflexes and her bad day for what happened next. Kelli made a move to grab her hair, but Annabeth quickly avoided it and then pushed Kelli with such force that she was back on the floor. She should have run away right then, but she was so damn pissed at the world, she wanted to take it out with someone.
"Guess the sober girls just kicked your drunken ass." She said with satisfaction.
That was a mistake.
For being drunk, Kelli moved pretty quickly when she wanted to. Suddenly, the angry girl was back on her feet and lunged at Annabeth, making them both fall to the ground.
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"So…" The police officer said tapping something on his computer. "Who's talking first?"
Annabeth refused to look at the girl sitting beside her, yet she saw, out of the corner of her eye, what looked like a bag of frozen peas being pressed to her cheek. She wanted to smile triumphally, but she thought the officer would not see it as a good sign. They both remained quiet.
Officer Scott sighed and turned his attention back to them. "Listen, ladies. We can be here for a long time, or you can collaborate and get out of here sooner than we all want to." The girls seemed pretty interested in the precinct's ceiling. "Fine. Let's do this the hard way then." He squinted his eyes at Kelli. "You're up first."
Reluctantly, Kelli got up and followed the officer to a little room on their left. As she waited, Annabeth looked over the vending machines and her stomach protested for food. She didn't have any money, though, so she just watched the little fan ceiling rocking sideways.
Twenty minutes later, it was her turn to tell her story. She decided to be honest and told them Kelli had started their fight, but she had made no attempt at stopping it. Also, that it had been a meaningless confrontation, that had started just because she had accidentally bumped into her. They had no history and there wasn't a hidden motive.
She was just having a bad day.
"Well then, I'll have to keep you here for a few hours to follow the procedure and verify your stories." The officer said at the end.
Sure. Why not. The universe had made it very clear that it didn't want Annabeth to reach Percy. So…what's a few hours more.
The worst thing? Kelli and Annabeth had to share the cell. Thank god there were other people who had decided to go rogue that night because she wouldn't be sure an empty cell with Kelli was a smart decision.
She tried hard no to think about her day because she was not ready to deal with the consequences…at least not until she could talk with Percy.
She must have fallen asleep, because next time she opened her eyes, the officer had opened the door and walked towards her. He helped her up before saying, "We have decided to let you go with a warning, but just so you know, this fight will be in your record."
She simply nodded and followed him into the precinct. As she reached the reception desk, Annabeth noticed the time on the clock. Five a.m. She grimaced. Thalia would have the whole FBI looking for her by then.
"Can I make a call?" Annabeth asked the receptionist, and he pointed to a phone on the wall. She didn't have any change, but the guy had some change to spare. She thanked him and made the call.
Please pick up. Thalia had the habit of not answering unknown numbers.
"Who the hell calls this late…"
Thank the gods.
"Thalia. It's me… and I think it's pretty early in the morning." She said trying to lighten the mood.
Her friend exploded into a cloud of obscenities and threats to staple her phone to her face.
"…and don't you even dare to say your phone died. Because you're running out of that excuse…"
"I got robbed." She said and her friend finally quieted down.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"For the gods, Annabeth. What happened to your luck yesterday?"
"Oh, and I haven't told you the best part."
Annabeth told her everything from walking to Montauk to her five-star stay at the Precinct's cell. They were laughing so hard at the end that even the receptionist was giving her a funny look.
"I'm glad you kicked her butt," Thalia said, calming down.
"Yeah, well." She touched her cheek and grimaced at the scratch Kelli had given her. "She put up a good fight too."
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to Percy's cabin…"
"Annabeth…"
"Thalia, I just need to try. Make one thing right today."
"Technically, It's tomorrow."
"Haha."
"Ok. But call me whenever you can, and I'll go get you."
"Thanks."
They hung up, and she asked the receptionist for directions once again.
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She finally made it.
Annabeth had never felt more relieved to hear the ocean and her heart jumped when she recognized the beach, she had seen countless times on Percy's desk. The cabin was small and old, but it fitted perfectly with the peaceful landscape. The only bad thing?
The cabin was empty.
And Percy was nowhere around.
With a shaky breath, Annabeth took off her shoes and walked to the beach in front of the cabin. The cold sand hugged her feet and she finally allowed herself to relax. She stopped a few feet away from the water and sat down, not caring about the sand messing up her clothes. The chilly breeze made her hug her hoodie closer and she watched as the sun lazily started to rise above the beautiful sea.
She remembered when she had watched the dawn from the Brooklyn Bridge the day at the Charity Ball. She had felt so lost and confused, that the colors on the sky had been depressing for her.
But now they looked amazingly beautiful. The bronze, orange, yellow, and blue, mixed themselves in perfect harmony, making her feel calm and relaxed. She felt peace.
Percy had been right. She loved that place.
She knew that sooner or later, she would have to deal with the consequences of her actions the previous day…but for now, she just wanted to enjoy the present. She had already lost everything she cared for the most. There was no way she could screw things up more than she already had. And for some reason, it made her feel free.
Annabeth was so at peace looking at the incredible landscape, she didn't flinch when a blue blanket was wrapped around her. She only comprehended what was happening, when he sat down next to her, his green eyes fixed on the horizon. They matched the color of the ocean in front of them. He was wearing blue swimming trunks and a simple white shirt. It was Percy. But he lacked his usual force and brightness. He seemed even more tired than her.
Annabeth's heart sped up. She wanted to say so many things, but she didn't know where to start with.
"I'm sorry." She said softly, but he shook his head and remained silent.
Annabeth took the hint and quietly looked towards the rising sun. She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but it was killing her having him close and not being able to touch him. She deserved it.
She decided to push it again.
"I drove a car yesterday. You would have been proud of me."
Her heart fluttered when she noticed the ghost of a smile on his face, and when he spoke she felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders.
"I heard you crashed it."
She frowned. "How did you…ah." She laughed dryly. "You've been talking with Thalia this whole time."
He still wouldn't look at her.
"What did she tell you?" she pushed.
"Everything." He replied, softly.
Annabeth took a deep breath. "Percy…"
"I didn't want you to come, Annabeth. You broke my heart the moment Thalia opened the door and shook her head."
"I know." Tears started running down her cheeks.
"Then I came here. I wanted to be away from everything, specifically you. But it was hard. I kept thinking about how you would have cleaned all the cabin, or how we would be having dinner in town…and I was just so angry at you for not leaving me alone even in my thoughts. Then Thalia called. She told you were acting crazy, that you got fired and that you were planning to drive a car all the way to Montauk just to talk to me. I was so devastated, and I really didn't want to see you. So, I packed my bags and got ready to leave back to New York."
He stopped and Annabeth tried to wipe away her tears discreetly. She knew it was better if she just listened. He took a deep breath.
"But for some reason, I found myself waiting with my bag on my hand. And waited and waited. At first, I just thought it was because I wanted to tell you why I didn't want to see you anymore. Why we weren't clearly made for each other. But then I realized my heart jumped every time I thought I saw your blond curls peeking through the beach. I waited for a long time, and when you didn't appear, I thought you had backed down and regretted your decision of following me, and my heart broke again. Then Thalia called for the second time and told me you had crashed, and you weren't answering your phone…"
"You went looking for me." She guessed, her throat drying from not drinking anything since yesterday. "That's why you weren't in your cabin this morning."
He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, it was an awful night."
"Then Thalia called you for the third time and told you I was here." She finished for him. He remained quiet and Annabeth knew their relationship depended on what she said next.
"I was scared, Percy. You and I aren't exactly the perfect couple. We fight all the time; we are both extremely stubborn and we want different things in our life. My job was on the line and we had only been dating for a month. I wanted something permanent in my life, and I thought the best choice was my work…I still do."
Annabeth grew tired of him not looking at her and sat in front of him. She shook a little when his powerful eyes met with hers, but she was not giving up now. She continued. "But then I remembered how much I've grown since I met you. How many things I've discovered about myself and how you've made me question what I really want in my life…And I decided I want that more than a place as one of Aurora's minions. I want to discover more about myself and I want you to do it with me. I want you, Percy. Gods, I have never loved anyone the way I love you, and it's goddamn scary…"
His eyes widened. "What?"
She smiled softly. "I fell hard for you Percy Jackson. And I'm so sorry it took me so long to see it. You've given me a lot of opportunities and I understand if you don't want to be with me…"
He smiled sincerely and she almost melted. "Who says I don't want you? Jeez, Annabeth did you even pay attention to the whole story about not being able to get you off my mind?"
She laughed. "Yeah, well. I'm kind of distracted these days."
He slowly pushed her forward, so she was straddling him against the sand. He joined their foreheads. "You'll be my doom." He whispered his lips close to hers.
"We are destined to fail," she said, smiling.
"Then let's crash together. Because I'm also in love with you, Wise Girl."
And then, they met each other half-way.
A/N: Hey guys! So what did you think? I know the end is a little bit cheesy but I loved writing it.
A few notes on why I am not finishing the story here. Annabeth took a rushed decision, without even knowing what she wanted in life. She's still a career girl and what she did will have repercussions on her life, even if she thought she made the right decision. If you're not sure who you are, any decision might be the wrong one. So I thought it would be nice for us to explore the consequences in the future.
Thank you so much for your support and expect the next chapter for the next week.
Kudos to all! You guys are amazing!